Innovative Finance
August 1, 2024
Using the Free School Uniforms to Reduce Out-of-Pocket Expenditure for Low-income households in Kenya.
Background: This project aimed to address this gap by examining the outcomes of an educational intervention in Kenya that aimed to lower schooling expenses for children in impoverished areas by supplying them with school uniforms.
Solution Approach
The school uniforms distributed as part of the ongoing project range in price from 325 to 550 Kenyan shillings (equivalent to US$4.15 to $7.03) for girls and between 405 to 550 Kenyan shillings (equivalent to US$5.18 to $7.03) for boys. This price discrepancy is due to the fact that uniforms for each school necessitate distinct materials, and local tailors near each school were enlisted to stitch the uniforms, thereby contributing to varying costs. The distribution mechanism of the uniform in this program used a lottery to determine who would receive a school uniform.
Impact
Receiving a uniform reduced school absenteeism by 37 percent for the average student (7 percentage points) and by 55 percent for children who initially had no uniform (15 percentage points).